Kiritsugu Emiya's moral limits?
For the sake of world peace, he had always operated without them. Patricide, matricide, abandoning his daughter—he had done it all, even if he wept in agony afterward.
Not long ago, when he had visited as the Master of the King of Knights, Kayneth had shown him due respect, allowing him to ascend to the hotel's top floor for a private discussion.
Of course, this was also because Kiritsugu Emiya possessed the courage to walk alone into enemy territory.
During their discussion, however, Kiritsugu failed to get the answers he sought. Kayneth knew no more about the Holy Grail War than he did, and he was completely ignorant of the Grail's corruption.
For a moment, Kiritsugu felt disoriented, wondering if Guinevere had simply been making things up.
"Kiritsugu Emiya," Kayneth had said, "you're the one who planted bombs on every floor from the ground level up to the thirty-first, aren't you?"
"Lord Kayneth, we are enemies. You should already be familiar with my methods."
"Get out, you heretic."
The hotel had thirty-two floors, and Kayneth had rented out the entire thirty-second. Kiritsugu, in turn, had planted bombs on every floor below. Alarmed by this discovery, Kayneth had decided to rent out the entire hotel, transforming it into a massive Magecraft workshop. He was confident that if any enemy Mage dared to force their way in, they would never leave alive.
So, had Kayneth simply forgotten to secure the underground parking garage?
No, that wasn't it. He had deliberately left the garage unsecured and specifically mentioned finding bombs only up to the thirty-first floor. He wanted to lure Kiritsugu into a trap.
But Kayneth never expected that while he was negotiating with Kiritsugu Emiya, Maiya Hisau had already gone to the underground garage to plant bombs. Shortly after Kiritsugu left, she triggered a demolition explosion that brought down the Fuyuki Hotel.
Kayneth's act of renting out the entire hotel, combined with the very real threat of the bombs, had already ensured no civilians remained inside. This left Kiritsugu free to act without restraint.
"Maiya..."
The walkie-talkie crackled with static, followed by Maiya Hisau's muffled, agonized screams.
Just as Kirei Kotomine had become fixated on Kiritsugu after reading his file, Kiritsugu had recognized from Kirei's file that he would be a formidable opponent.
But he had never imagined Kirei would capture Maiya on his first move.
Years ago, he had found Maiya as a child on a battlefield. He had given her a name, taken her on as his assistant, and she had helped him greatly—even in bed.
In terms of when they met, Kiritsugu's official wife, Irisviel von Einzbern, was the newcomer.
As for his feelings for Maiya and Irisviel...
Kiritsugu loved them both and couldn't bear to lose either. Yet, for the sake of his ideals, he had ruthlessly brought both women he loved here to die.
He clenched his fist until it ached. Maiya's muffled screams continued, and Kiritsugu Emiya desperately wanted to save her, but he was powerless to do so now.
With the Fuyuki Hotel in ruins, Kayneth and his wife were still buried in the rubble. Yet Lancer was already hot on Kiritsugu's heels, his face contorted with a murderous rage.
If Kiritsugu revealed himself now, Lancer would surely kill him before he could even find Maiya.
Should I summon Saber?
Hiding near the ruins of the Fuyuki Hotel, Kiritsugu held his modified gun-type Mystic Code in one hand and loaded an Origin Bullet with the other. He waited for Kayneth to appear while Lancer searched the area.
Through a window, he caught glimpses of the battle between Archer and Berserker, the sky echoing with continuous explosions.
But his hiding spot offered only a limited view. He didn't see Guinevere appear before Sakura and Kariya, unaware that she had returned.
Just as Kiritsugu finally resolved to summon Saber, she contacted him first through their Master-Servant telepathic link.
"Master, after Gui—after Caster left, I detected Assassin's presence nearby. I'm currently on high alert."
Learning of Guinevere's angry departure and Assassin's reappearance, Kiritsugu clenched his fist tighter.
According to Tokiomi Tohsaka's plan, Assassin had already been eliminated, revealing Kirei Kotomine as his Master. After losing his Servant, Kirei had sought refuge at the Holy Church.
Kirei Kotomine... Is he trying to prevent me from recalling Saber? Is he forcing me to choose between saving Maiya and continuing to protect Irisviel?
From his hiding spot, Kiritsugu Emiya continued to ponder, his expression betraying no emotion.
The thoughts racing through his mind were cold and calculating: Maiya or Irisviel—which of them was more crucial to his goal of obtaining the Holy Grail?
"Kirei Kotomine," Kiritsugu said into his radio, his voice flat as he suppressed the agony in his heart. "Give Maiya a quick death."
He then ended the call and fixed his gaze solely on the hotel ruins.
Meanwhile, Guinevere, having forced Sakura to crush the Old Worm, now held the girl in her arms and walked back to Kariya Matou.
A gaping hole had been torn in Kariya's chest. Though Guinevere's Noble Phantasm temporarily prevented him from dying from his wounds, the Old Worm's consciousness had been completely erased from the world. The Crest Worms inside Kariya's body went berserk, now freely devouring his flesh and blood.
If left untreated, he would be devoured alive.
So, should she use her Noble Phantasm to restore Kariya's health as well?
Restoring Kariya's health would be far more difficult than restoring Sakura's. Sakura had only a single worm placed in her heart; removing it would resolve the major issue. Kariya, however, was rotten to the bone, his lifespan nearly exhausted.
Forget it. It's just a matter of spending more Mana, of letting him live a false life.
As Guinevere resolved to act, she suddenly froze. The effects of the Noble Phantasm she had applied to Kariya were rapidly fading.
It was as if...
"Kariya Matou," she asked, "have you been stabbed by something with an anti-magic effect?"
Through his agony, Kariya immediately understood. He nodded, abandoning his last shred of hope, his gaze softening as it fell upon Sakura.
Overwhelmed by the emotional rollercoaster of joy, terror, breakdown, and finally relief, Sakura was utterly exhausted. She had already fallen asleep, curled up in Guinevere's arms.
"Caster..." Kariya rasped, his voice weak. "You must be a good person. You saved Sakura...
"I... Can I ask you to do more for her? Please, before you disappear, find a good home for Sakura."
Even on the brink of death, Kariya's only concern was for Sakura. His selflessness made Guinevere want to try using her Noble Phantasm on him again, despite the odds.
Her understanding of her Second Noble Phantasm was still far too limited.
For instance, she didn't know if a falsehood, when layered over reality for long enough, would eventually replace the truth entirely, making the original reality impossible to recover.
Look at Lancelot. Wasn't he falsely portrayed by history as a Faerie Girl? And yet, that form was now undeniably real.
"Kariya Matou," Guinevere said, "as payment for finding Sakura a home, use your final Command Spell to order Berserker to regain his sanity. I have questions for him."
"Is that all?"
"That is all."
Demanding payment actually put Kariya's mind at ease. However, to maintain Lancelot's existence, he couldn't die just yet.
But this was merely sustaining his life, not restoring his health. Guinevere had a way to use her Noble Phantasm to bypass the interference of the Anti-Magic Curse within his body.
"Kariya Matou, there are no more worms inside you."
In that instant, nearly half of Kariya's weight vanished. He felt a profound sense of relief, knowing he would now live a little longer than if the worms had devoured him completely.
After doing this, Guinevere also woke Sakura, urging her to stay by Kariya's side and watch him use his final Command Spell.
Then, Guinevere once again fabricated the ability to fly and soared into the air.
She flew toward Lancelot, who had temporarily regained his sanity and was no longer charging recklessly at the King of Heroes.
"Now, let the heavens rain!"
It was her Second Noble Phantasm again. As Guinevere's voice faded, rain began to fall from the sky, washing away the illusion concealing the King of Heroes' true form.